Man severely burned in Hull house fire

A fire in a home on Nantasket Avenue in Hull was likely started by a space heater.

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The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

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Posted Jan. 27, 2014 at 5:45 PM
Updated Jan 27, 2014 at 10:58 PM

Posted Jan. 27, 2014 at 5:45 PM
Updated Jan 27, 2014 at 10:58 PM

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HULL - Fire officials have identified 62-year-old Bob Simon as the man who sustained severe burns to his arms and back when he tried to extinguish a fire in his Nantasket Avenue home likely started by a space heater early Sunday.

Hull fire Deputy Christopher Russo on Monday said Simon, 62, was able to get out of the home and was in the front yard when firefighters arrived early Sunday.

Fire Capt. Kevin Breen said Simon was taken by medical helicopter to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston with third degree burns to 35 percent of his body. As of Monday afternoon, Simon's condition was reported as serious.

A neighbor called 911 just after midnight Saturday to report a fire at 1092 Nantasket Ave., Breen said. Firefighters declared a second alarm upon arrival, and crews from Cohasset, Scituate, Hingham and Norwell responded to help.

"The homeowner had attempted to put the fire out on his own, so there was a delay in us getting the call," Breen said, adding that the house is a total loss. "We had a lot of icy conditions with wind and the cold weather."

Breen said the fire started in the rear of the first floor and was likely caused by a space heater. It took firefighters about five hours to extinguish the blaze, he said.

"We're unable to confirm the cause because we can't talk to (Simon)," he said.

The single-family, waterfront property and home were last assessed at $331,000, according to Hull assessors records.

Breen said a firefighter was also taken to the hospital and later released after falling on the ice and suffering a knee injury.

A space heater was also the suspected cause of a two-alarm fire that tore through a home on West Squantum Street in Quincy on Jan. 4. Five people were left homeless and three of them, one an infant, were taken to the hospital.

Quincy fire Deputy Jeffrey Starr said a space heater, which may have been from the 1960s, was left on in an enclosed porch overnight.